Employers and unions disagree on exclusion and testing: they say workers want to be free at the expense of others

In the “Monetary Affairs” program, the president of the Lithuanian Employers’ Confederation, Danas Arlauskas, stated that it is important for companies not only to protect their employees, but also to plan the fulfillment of orders. For these reasons, employers require employees to be tested or vaccinated.

“Now the orders are not long-term, they are very short-term, that’s life. And you have to meet obligations with very draconian demands. If it is not timely, it is not, then you will not receive the order in the future or you may receive many fines. The employer’s logic is that they have to control the situation, they have to predict that those employees who are directly contributing to the execution of that order will be. Because take from the 250 thousand that have been registered with the Employment Service until today, you cannot take them soon. If the request is not fulfilled, then in economic terms it can be a sad enough situation not to receive more. The employer then checks very clearly that these weaknesses exist and I must have the guarantee that the employee will work in this position both tomorrow and the day after, and for at least half a year. This is mainly related to exports, which generate about 60 percent. our economy.

Returning from Naujoji Akmenė last week, I visited one of the roadside cafes and was at first a little outraged to be asked if you had a passport, as if I had one, but I didn’t pick it up. Then I tried to get together, there was no connection, I ran out of food. There was so much annoyance inside, but I thought, well, people have already started that magical September 13th. They also seek to protect their staff because the migration of people is very high and if you want to try to find a good chef now. Not even those providers. They are thinking not only about enforcing a government decree, but also about how to protect their staff. I think about those two things, the first economic, which is directly related to the execution of orders and your future opportunities to participate in the economy. Another reason is that you protect your employees directly ”, explained D. Arlauskas.

Employers representative: the test must be paid for by the employee himself.

D. Arlauskas stated that there is an alternative to vaccination: a test.

“If you don’t want to be vaccinated, you have to show that you are healthy and then do the test. (…) If you don’t want to be vaccinated, then the question is who should cover the tests. Here, our views with the unions already differ. We say that if you don’t want what the state gives for free, I’m sorry, but for your money. If you want to be free and independent. Also tricks: I want to be free, but at the expense of others. We do not agree with that. The income of the company is formed. “If we do the test, then those who have already been vaccinated are going to suffer, then the principle of justice forces us to mold ourselves,” he said.

Inga Ruginienė, president of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, first assured that not in all activities the employer can fire an employee if he does not take the test or does not vaccinate.

“We have activities that are on the mandatory testing list. They are precisely those activities, and they can instruct your employees to take tests. If an employee does not agree to be tested, there is the option to remove that employee. All the other activities, and what successful employers are using, just that duck and thrown message, are now under pressure on employees. This is not a mandatory test for all other activities, much less for vaccination. Requiring a passport for mandatory tests or vaccination is completely illegal. It is no coincidence that the Government is currently modifying the Communicable Diseases and Control Act. There is a draft where this could be legitimized. But this law should also cross the Seimas barrier. To speak now that it is possible to eliminate anything and anything would be a complete mistake and injustice.

Another thing, with that new project, something completely new is introduced. The fact that the tests or your financial responsibility should rest on the shoulders of the employee. I have talked for a long time about the importance of production processes, how the employer is concerned that no one interrupts and therefore pressures those workers to get tested or vaccinated, I want to emphasize that the employee does not come to work to drink coffee. , watch TV and employee for the test. An employee comes to the workplace to perform job functions. We even have two laws for this – Occupational Health and Safety and Communicable Diseases and Prevention, which specify the mechanism that obliges the employer to create safe working conditions, ”said I. Ruginienė.

She is convinced that if the tests are mandatory, the employer must pay these costs himself.

“Now there is a feeling that the government is washing its hands, the employers are washing their hands. Everything is opposed to society itself of which the employee himself is to blame. And now it is said that there are free vaccines, that they get vaccinated, if they don’t get vaccinated, they pay. I understand, but that rhetoric is causing a lot of stress in the workplace and that is what we are seeing. Many complaints come. And from the employers themselves, who ask the basics: how to perform the testing process, what is a mandatory or optional vaccination, how to contact an employee. I have had several complaints that have been directed to the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Center and nobody is giving answers, nobody is answering the letters. This process shows that we are discarding some kind of instruction, a government resolution, and how to implement it does not interest anyone.

Vaccination is necessary, but should the vaccine be given? The government is screaming, there are no forced vaccinations. Under the new project, we see that an employee who earns the minimum wage will have to pay between 30 and 70 euros per test each week. Does it turn out to spend all your salary on tests? It is normal? I think this is abnormal, ”said a union representative.

The employers’ representative, in turn, stated that I. Ruginienė brings everything to the field of law, but not justice.

“We need to talk not only about the right that employers have under that law, but also about justice. So I say, and then what about those who were vaccinated, who had understanding? They are free people if they don’t like it. this request. We have created a state, a democracy, we chose a place where these requirements do not exist and that’s it. Inga, you claim that those employees are like hostages, as if they were in a prison of some kind, and the caretakers do not believe the right conditions for them. That’s all you want to do in that area. We say that the rule of law is also important in the rule of law. We appeal to justice, that is, to other employees who understand that it is citizenship, it is an obligation of the State to vaccinate them free of charge, so then for others who do not want to, we have to pay them for their presumed freedom ”, said D. Arlauskas.

“He immediately divided it into two groups: vaccinated and unvaccinated. What basically both our government and everyone divides into bad and good. Those who were vaccinated took care of their health and, thank God, they did. They run no risk of not being vaccinated, as the unvaccinated have a higher risk of going to work, the unvaccinated have a higher risk of infection and are more likely to get sick. time, but in a place where you would agree that if we are talking about justice, we are talking about a person going to work and the means to do it. work, safe conditions must be guaranteed. This is where the principle of justice comes into play. If I have to pay for everything myself when I come to work, I have to add value, I have to add value for myself, or if the employer really has to train me to perform those functions. When you see that employers, According to the government, they put those iron clogs on the employee and throw everything on the employee’s shoulders and blame him, it’s a shame that it’s not something like that, I think the principle of justice. it is not kept here, “I replied. Ruginiene.

However, both employer and worker representatives agree on one thing: there is a lot of uncertainty right now. It is not known whether employers will be able to exclude workers in all areas if they do not test, or only in certain sectors.

“I agree that now there are many uncertainties. I agree that employers call and seek answers. (…) Ministries, institutions mixed everything. I mean, what will happen after September 13, the practical application is complicated. Now we are told that we are only speaking in the social and educational sectors, not in other places. But if not, say no, because we still don’t know. The bill for everyone, but then he says no. And then we are all hostages of a certain uncertainty ”, said D. Arlauskas.